OK, having (and loving every minute of it) three tattoos myself, I could
no longer resist adding my two cents.  I don't have any ferret tattoos
yet, but I am working up designs for one.  However, I do have a betta fish
on my calf.  I have designed two of my three, from top to bottom, image,
colors, everything, and I personally intend to continue to do so with my
future tattoos, allowing some consultation on logistics with the artist.
I have had some experience with doing animals, from designing the betta,
which is a very stylized black line drawing with VERY colorful finishing
touches.  The way I went about it is I found a photo in the pose I wanted
and traced an outline of it, then used that outline to do my stylizing and
blacking in, and then I found several other photos of very colorful bettas
and used those to come up with my color scheme.  This is a really easy
way to design your own.  If you are like me, you have boxes and boxes of
photos of your darlings, all shapes, sizes, and poses to choose from.  If
you don't think you are artistically inclined enough, arm yourself with
several of your favorite photos and keep in mind that your tattoo artist
is just that, an artist, and he or she will most likely have no trouble
coming up with a great design.  Also, many artists, (I know mine was) are
very good at reproducing photos, especially in black/white and shades of
grey.  That is another very viable option.  And if you'd like, and you
have a photo that you especially like, you can send me a copy, digital or
otherwise, and I can see what I can do for you.  I am not the only person
wandering around this world with my art on their bodies, and I haven't had
any complaints yet.  Now is a good time to mention that what Kim said
about tattoo artists is right on.  Make sure you know the reputation of
the artist, get a good look at the tattoo parlor, making sure the work
areas are clean, make sure the needles and ink are NEW and that the
needles are sterilized before use.  Make sure you are comfortable, not
wearing clothing which will interfere with the tattooed area once it is
finished.  (Which means if you want one on your calf, and it is mid
winter, you might want to wait until you can wear shorts...)  Make sure
you pick a day when you are feeling well, aren't exceedingly tired or
stressed, and I recommend being very sober.  And most importantly be
COMPLETELY satisfied with your design before you begin.  If you have any
doubts about anything on the design, fix them before you go through with
it!!  Doubts about getting a tattoo at all are normal and can easily be
overcome, but doubts about the design wil only lead to trouble.  Anyway,
there ya go, my two cents....
 
=====
Melissa
www.geocities.com/lostferrets
[Posted in FML issue 3112]